da spicy bet： Após o período de férias, o elenco do Avaí voltou aos trabalhos na Ressacada no início desta semana. No entanto, um dos atletas que integraram o grupo que obteve o acesso para a Série A do Campeonato Brasileiro, no ano passado, não se reapresentou.
+ Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada
O goleiro Vladimir, cujo contrato chegou ao fim com o término da Série B nacional, no último mês de novembro, ainda não teve a renovação acertada.
Diretor da BL Sports, empresa paulista que cuida da carreira do atleta desde que ele integrava as categorias de base do Santos FC, Beto Lopes diz que os termos de um novo acerto haviam sido apalavrados nas últimas semanas de 2021 por parte de dirigentes do clube catarinense.
‘Assim que acabou a Série B eu conversei com o Marquinhos Santos (gerente de futebol) sobre a renovação e deixamos o acerto muito bem encaminhado. No entanto, na semana entre o Natal e o Ano-Novo, em um contato telefônico com o William Thomas (executivo de futebol contratado pela diretoria eleita em dezembro), ele apresentou uma situação nova de composição salarial e isso nos fez retardar um pouco mais o acordo’, revelou.
NEGOCIAÇÕES NÃO ESTÃO ENCERRADAS
O empresário, porém, não descarta a permanência do goleiro no Leão da Ilha. ‘O Vladimir teve uma passagem muito boa pelo Avaí em 2019. É querido pela torcida, gosta bastante do clube e sua família se adaptou totalmente a Florianópolis. Em momento algum encerramos as negociações para a renovação e estamos abertos para conversar’, acrescentou.
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Aston Villa are now considering a January move for a “fantastic” Champions League player, but they will have to shell out a huge fee to get a deal over the line.
Villa looking to boost push for Europe by strengthening in January
Villa have surged up the Premier League table in recent weeks, courtesy of winning seven of their last eight matches, although there have been some suggestions that their current run of form could end soon, given that they have been defying xG.
The Villans’ 16 goals this season have come from an xG of just 11.88 xG, and they have been relying on players scoring from outside the box, with Boubacar Kamara the most recent example, firing home from distance in the 1-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Regardless of how they’ve managed to win games, Unai Emery’s side have placed themselves very much in contention to qualify for Europe yet again, and they are now looking to strengthen in January to bolster their chances.
That is according to a report from Leonino (via Sport Witness), which states Aston Villa are now considering a January bid for Sporting CP defender Ousmane Diomande, but they may have to break the bank, with the Portuguese club demanding his €80m (£70m) release clause is paid in full.
Sporting have been struggling to tie Diomande down to a new contract, with his current deal set to expire in 2027, which could open the door for a move to Villa Park. However, several Premier League clubs are in the race for his signature, including Crystal Palace.
With Sporting unwilling to listen to winter bids, Villa may have to wait until the summer to pursue the centre-back, unless they trigger the release clause, although it is unclear how feasible that would be, given their well-documented PSR issues.
"Fantastic" Diomande could be exciting long-term addition for Villa
The 21-year-old, who is represented by the same agency as Harvey Elliott, is at the right age to be a long-term success at Villa Park, and he impressed right across the 2024-25 campaign, as highlighted by scout Jacek Kulig.
A modern defender, the Ivorian, who has made three Champions League appearances this season, is very comfortable in possession of the ball, as showcased by his performance across some key statistics over the past year, while the youngster also has a keen eye for goal.
Ousmane Diomande’s key statistics
Average per 90 (past year)
Non-penalty goals
0.09 (88th percentile)
Passes attempted
67.57 (90th percentile)
Pass completion %
92.7% (98th percentile)
That said, Villa have one of the best defences in the Premier League, having conceded just 11 goals, so there is no pressing need to sign a centre-back, and it may be better to wait until next summer to sign Diomande, at which point Sporting’s asking price will hopefully drop.
da blaze casino： Celtic’s interim head coach Martin O’Neill has confirmed that Wednesday night’s clash with Dundee at Parkhead will be his final match in the dugout for the Scottish giants.
da bet vitoria： The experienced manager stepped in after Brendan Rodgers resigned at the end of October and has won six of his seven matches in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, to date.
Columbus Crew boss Wilfried Nancy will then take over as the permanent successor to Brendan Rodgers and will face a baptism of fire at the weekend against league leaders Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.
The French boss will be watching on from afar for the clash this evening and will have one last chance to assess the players who will soon be at his disposal before being tasked with organising them in training.
O’Neill will also be keen for his last game to be a memorable one, leaving Nancy with the team in the best possible position, by claiming all three points against Dundee.
The experienced boss may look to make some changes to his starting line-up from the side that beat Hibernian 2-1 at Easter Road on Sunday in order to secure the win this evening.
The Celtic players who could be dropped against Dundee
Football FanCast have already suggested that right-sided winger Luke McCowan should be dropped from the team after he failed to impress against Hibs at the weekend, with no shots on target or ‘big chances’ created, per Sofascore.
The former Dundee man has been tasked with filling in out wide in recent games, due to the lack of natural options in that position, but he was ineffective last time out, which could provide Benjamin Nygren with a chance to play in that role.
On the other side of the pitch, Marcelo Saracchi could make way for Kieran Tierney at left-back, as the two defenders have shared the workload so far this season in the Premiership.
25/26 Premiership
Saracchi
Tierney
Appearances
7
10
Starts
6
6
Minutes
405
609
Big chances created
2
2
Assists
1
2
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the statistics above, they have both started six league games this term, and it could be Tierney’s time to start this evening after coming off the bench against Hibs.
Another player who could be dropped from the starting line-up, alongside Saracchi and McCowan, is left-sided attacker Hyun-jun Yang, who played a part in Arne Engels’ goal with a deflected cross for the Belgian on Sunday.
Aside from that deflected cross, the South Korean forward offered little to the side in or out of possession on the left flank. Per Sofascore, he played 86 minutes without registering a key pass, a ‘big chance’ created, or a shot on target, as his part in Engels’ goal did not count as an assist.
The 23-year-old star, who scored against Feyenoord last week in the Europa League, also lost 75% (3/4) of his duels throughout the game, per Sofascore, which shows that he was not strong enough in his physical battles.
With this in mind, and the fact that they have Hearts to play on Sunday, O’Neill should ruthlessly ditch Yang from the starting line-up to provide another player with an opportunity to impress.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Dropping the South Korea international could allow the experienced boss to finally unleash rarely-seen winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha on the left flank against Dundee tonight.
Why Celtic should unleash Michel-Ange Balikwisha
The Belgian forward played 59 minutes across three substitute appearances in O’Neill’s first three games in charge, but has been an unused substitute for the last four matches in all competitions.
We are not privy to what goes on behind the scenes, in training and in tactical meetings, and the experienced boss will have his reasons for not giving Balikwisha much game time in recent weeks.
However, in a three-game week, this clash with Dundee ahead of the meeting with Hearts on Sunday provides the manager with a chance to give the summer signing from Royal Antwerp a start for the first time.
In fact, Balikwisha has not started a game for Celtic since the 2-1 win over Kilmarnock away from home in September under Rodgers, per Sofascore, which means that the winger has not had many opportunities to showcase his quality.
Balikwisha in 25/26 Premiership
Opposition
Minutes
Hibernian
0
St Mirren
0
Kilmarnock
0
Falkirk
29
Hearts
30
Dundee
26
Motherwell
12
Hibernian
16
Kilmarnock
58
Rangers
65
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the Celtic winger started his first two games in the Premiership against Rangers and Kilmarnock, after signing from Royal Antwerp, but has not gotten a look-in since then.
There is more to come from Balikwisha in a Celtic shirt because his form for Royal Antwerp in Belgium suggests that he does have the potential to carry a threat at the top end of the pitch.
Per Transfermarkt, the 24-year-old wing wizard scored 30 goals and provided 17 assists in 145 matches for Antwerp, yet he has only managed two assists and no goals in 12 outings in all competitions for the Hoops.
The only way he will improve and adapt to Scottish football, though, is by playing matches and getting used to the intensity and physicality of the division, which he cannot do from the bench.
That is why O’Neill should give Balikwisha a rare opportunity to start against Dundee as a parting gift to Nancy, as it would provide the winger with another opportunity to develop as a Celtic player ahead of a fresh page under the next manager.
Therefore, the interim manager should ruthlessly drop and rest Yang from the starting line-up this evening, bringing the rarely-seen Belgian in to give him a chance to stake a claim for a place in the side moving forward.
Nancy could bin Celtic star who's been the biggest winner of O'Neill's reign
Incoming Celtic boss Wilfried Nancy could drop this star who has been the biggest winner of Martin O’Neill’s reign.
Steven Heighway knew when Steven Gerrard was still only 14 years of age that the midfielder was going to "make it" as a footballer. The man himself, though, was less convinced of his quality – at least when he took his first tentative steps in the professional ranks. When Gerrard warmed up in front of the Kop for the first time ahead of his Liverpool debut on November 29, 1998, the nerve-racked teenager "could almost hear them saying, 'Who's this skinny tw*t?!'"
When Gerrard made his first start for the Reds the following week, against Tottenham, he felt completely out of his depth while David Ginola was running rings around him. It wouldn't take Gerrard long, though, to adjust to the pace of the Premier League. He became a first-team regular at Anfield during the 1990-2000 campaign before being voted the PFA's Young Player of the Year the following season.
Being recognised by his peers capped a remarkably rapid rise to prominence for a kid that had initially been racked by self-doubt. There was also the fact that Gerrard had also been dealing with a persistent back problem caused by a combination of growing pains and excessive game time during his teenage years.
However, the truly incredible thing about Gerrard's emergence as a future superstar was that he managed to perform at such a high level on the field while going through hell off it, having been targeted by a local gangster intent on exploiting the England international's success for his own financial gain…
'Hoodwinked' into a heist
In March 2006, John Kinsella, James Muldoon, Stephen McMullen and Thomas Hodgson were arrested on the M62 motorway near Huddersfield after a 130mph police chase. The four men – all from Liverpool – stood accused of stealing £41,000 worth of goods (Easter eggs, crisps and detergents) from a lorry depot in Grantham, Lincolnshire.
Hodgson subsequently admitted to a charge of robbery, but Kinsella, Muldoon and McMullen all maintained their innocence when they went on trial at Lincoln Crown Court in April 2008. Kinsella, who also denied an additional charge of dangerous driving, insisted that he was not a member of the gang responsible for the heist, with his solicitor, Gorden Aspden, claiming that his client had been "hoodwinked" into getting involved.
Kinsella stated that he knew nothing of the planned robbery beforehand and believed that he had been invited along to deal with a debt owed by a friend of his fellow accused Hodgson. According to Aspden, there was "a lot of evidence to back up” Kinsella’s story, while his defence also included a character reference from Steven Gerrard's father, Paul.
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'Terrorised' by 'The Psycho'
In a letter submitted to the court, and verified by police, Paul Gerrard wrote: "I would like to say that in 2001 my son Steven was being terrorised by a notorious Liverpool gangster known as 'The Psycho' (George Bromley Junior), who was threatening to maim my son by shooting him in the legs. Also, he was trying to extort a large amount of money from Steven. We immediately contacted the police and asked for protection."
The letter also disclosed that Liverpool were in contact with the authorities during the period in question and had also provided extra security for their player. However, Paul Gerrard said that the threats and harassment "went on for a long time" and that his son had even been "chased" by the gangster as he drove home from training.
"It was really having a bad effect on Steven's career," Paul Gerrard confessed, while also revealing that his son's car had been "smashed up" at one point. "This was one of the worst times of our lives and we were at our wits’ end when we were introduced by a family friend to John Kinsella."
'Nightmare'
Kinsella was well-known within the Merseyside underworld, and had previously served a nine-year prison sentence for attempted robbery and carrying a firearm with intent to commit an offence. According to Paul Gerrard, after reaching out to Kinsella, the martial arts expert assured him and his family that he "would resolve our nightmare".
During his trial in 2008, Kinsella explained that he was already familiar with both Bromley Junior and his deceased father, George Bromley Senior.
"George Bromley Jnr was a young lad," Kinsella told the court. "but he was a very violent figure in Liverpool. I took steps. I spoke to George Bromley Jnr. I told him to stop it and leave [Steven Gerrard] alone. After I had spoken to him, he followed my advice."
Indeed, Paul Gerrard confirmed in his letter that his family "never had any more problems from the Liverpool underworld", adding, "Steven and I have total respect for John."
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'Curious business'
Despite Paul Gerrard's testimony, Kinsella was found guilty of the robbery and sentenced to 14 years in jail – though he wasn't in court for the verdict. Rather, during a lunch break at the trial on April 17, 2008, Kinsella absconded after being allowed to wander Lincoln Crown Court's grounds.
Kinsella's legal team audaciously challenged the length of his sentence while he was still on the run – and actually managed to have it reduced by three years. Lord Justice Moses called the whole affair "curious business" but appeal judges accepted that the original jail term was "manifestly excessive".
However, Kinsella was eventually arrested by armed police in Amsterdam in February 2009 and he belatedly began his prison sentence two months later.
He died on May 5, 2018, after being shot in front of his partner while out walking his dog on a secluded footpath in a wooded area that runs alongside the M62 on Merseyside.
Christian Pulisic says that he was “truly dead” a couple of days prior to delivering two-goal heroics for AC Milan in their dramatic win over Torino. The USMNT star stepped off his sick bed and the substitutes’ bench to make a decisive contribution to a contest that has taken the Rossoneri back to the top of the Serie A table – level on points with defending champions Napoli.
Bagged a brace: Pulisic settles dramatic clash with Torino
Milan were unsure whether talismanic forward Pulisic would be available to them when planning for a trip to Turin. The United States international has been nursing a nasty bout of flu, with illness limiting his involvement in training sessions.
The 27-year-old was, however, prepared to push himself for the good of the collective cause. He was required in the second-half of a clash with Torino, as Milan found themselves trailing 2-1 just past the hour mark.
Pulisic was introduced in place of Davide Bartesaghi in the 66th minute. Inside 60 seconds, he found the target and dragged the Rossoneri back into a contest that was threatening to get away from them. He then went on to grab a match-winning effort 10 minutes later.
AdvertisementCaptain America: Pulisic steps off sick bed to inspire Milan
‘Captain America’ admits that his involvement in the game was touch and go at one stage, but is delighted that he recovered enough to inspire Milan to three priceless points in their ongoing title challenge.
Pulisic told afterwards: “Two days ago I was truly dead, today I felt much better. I'm happy to have come here to help the team. Yesterday we didn't know if I could play, but this morning I felt much better.
“I'm happy with the goals, but the important thing was to win the match. I’m always happy when I can help. I want to score more goals and assists. This is my job and I’m happy with the three points.”
Pulisic now has nine goals to his name this season through 12 appearances in all competitions, with untimely injuries having prevented him from raising that bar even further.
Golden Boot race: Pulisic level with Inter striker Martinez
Milan are hoping that he will remain available for the foreseeable future, with Massimiliano Allegri’s assistant, Marco Landucci, saying of the American’s value: “We also have to praise the medical staff because Pulisic was really ill, yet he came and gave us a huge hand. [Pulisic] is a strong player, he's very calm in the locker room, but on the pitch he's nasty and in front of goal, he's a sharpshooter.”
Milan have moved onto 31 points from 14 games, the same return as Napoli and one better than arch-rivals Inter. Pulisic, who is tied with Inter star Lautaro Martinez on seven goals in the Serie A Golden Boot race, added on the need to maintain high standards from here: “It's a season in which we aren't seeing Milan dominate games a lot. I still need to find more rhythm. The team is doing very well this year. We're taking it game by game.”
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GettyFuture call: Why has Pulisic not signed new Milan contract?
While Pulisic continues to impress when fit, questions are being asked of his future at San Siro. That is because a contract offer that has been on the table for some time remains unsigned.
Former USMNT goalkeeper Brad Friedel told GOAL recently of why no extension has been agreed: “I think it suggests that he is leaving his options open. When I was at clubs, I always wanted to sign my contracts when I was happy at places. I can only go on personal experience, I liked having multiple years on the contract – you never know with injuries around the corner. If I was truly happy at a place, I really enjoyed having two or three years on a contract.
“There are only two reasons for not signing. One, you are not happy with the contract. Two, you are keeping your options open. Maybe he has given a verbal commitment. I would assume that he is keeping his options open. If you are happy somewhere and you are happy with the numbers, you sign the contract.”
Milan, with no European football on their agenda this season, will be back in Serie A action on Sunday when taking in a home date with Sassuolo.
Glasgow Rangers will not win a trophy in the year of 2025. That was confirmed when they were beaten 3-1 at Hampden Park in the semi-finals of the League Cup on Sunday.
Danny Rohl had won his first two matches in the Scottish Premiership ahead of this last four clash with their Glasgow rivals, but he was unable to mastermind a third successive victory in all competitions.
The Light Blues did manage to get to extra time, despite being down to ten men, but two goals in extra time meant that they were knocked out of the competition.
Why Jack Butland did not cost Rangers the result
Some supporters or neutrals may want to point the finger at Jack Butland for the defeat, because he should have done better with the Callum McGregor shot that put Celtic 2-1 up.
The shot seemed to go through the former England international and down the middle of the goal, but he was unable to adjust and prevent it from finding the back of the net.
Despite that error, Butland did not cost the Light Blues the game because they were only in the match because of his impressive saves. Premier Sports TV pundit and former Hoops manager Neil Lennon even described his performance as “tremendous”.
The pick of his saves, arguably, was his fingertip stop to deny Callum Osmand’s brilliant header that looked destined for the bottom corner, whilst he also made several close-range stops in the initial 90 minutes.
A Rangers player who was worse than Butland in the game was young left-back Jayden Meghoma, and he may be on borrowed time in the starting line-up.
Why Jayden Meghoma may be on borrowed time
The Brentford loanee was caught out for the opening goal of the game when he allowed his man, Johnny Kenny, to get the jump on him from a corner.
Premier Sports TV pundit Michael Stewart noted on commentary that Meghoma “never recognises the danger”, which seems to be a fair comment when you consider that the full-back had a similar issue against Brann in Rohl’s first match.
The English defender allowed Jacob Lungi Sorensen to get the run and jump on him for a goal in that loss, which led Ally McCoist to describe his defending as “remarkable” and “diabolical”.
Meghoma was even worse than Butland against Celtic because there were several occasions where he did not recognise the danger, as Stewart put it, and put his side, and Butland, under pressure.
The teenage full-back’s performances for Rangers in the Scottish Premiership so far this season also do not suggest that he has what it takes to be the first-choice left-back moving beyond the January transfer window.
Appearances
7
Sofascore rating
6.56
Duel success rate
50%
Aerial duel success rate
25%
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.0
Error leading to shot
2
Possession lost per game
12.7x
Assists
1
As you can see in the table above, Meghoma only has one assist to his name to make up for the two errors leading to shots, and 12.7 times possession lost per game on average.
He has been questionable defensively, particularly from set-pieces, and has been wasteful in possession without creating much to make up for it, which is why Rohl should be looking to add an experienced left-back in January.
Meghoma is currently the only natural left-back in the first-team squad, as a result of the squad building by Kevin Thelwell and Russell Martin in the summer, and his underwhelming performances may convince Rohl to push for the club to bring another one in.
Therefore, the Rangers loanee’s place in the XI may be on borrowed time unless he can significantly improve his performance level over the next two months or so.
As bad as Aasgaard: Rohl must drop Rangers flop who was "so poor"
Danny Rohl must drop this Rangers flop who was as bad as Thelo Aasgaard at Hampden Park.
And has anyone been Player of the Match in the semi-final and the final like Travis Head?
Steven Lynch21-Nov-2023Travis Head was the Player of the Match in both the World Cup final and the semi. Has anyone done this before? asked Chris Georgiou from Australia Australia’s trump card Travis Head was Player of the Match in the semi-final against South Africa in Kolkata, and also in the final against India in Ahmedabad. This double has actually been achieved three times previously. In 1983, India’s Mohinder Amarnath won the award in the semi-final against England at Old Trafford and the final against West Indies at Lord’s.In 1996, Aravinda de Silva of Sri Lanka won it in the semi-final against India in Kolkata and the final against Australia in Lahore. And in 1999, the one and only Shane Warne picked up the award in the thrilling semi-final tie against South Africa at Edgbaston and in the final against Pakistan at Lord’s.Warne was also Man of the Match in the 1996 semi-final, against West Indies in Mohali.Mohammed Shami took 24 wickets in this World Cup – was this a record? asked Ahmed Kashif from India Mohammed Shami finished the 2023 World Cup as the leading wicket-taker with 24, one more than Australia’s Adam Zampa. Looking back at previous tournaments, two Australians lead the way: Mitchell Starc collected 27 wickets in England in 2019, while Glenn McGrath had 26 in the West Indies in 2007. But Starc played ten matches and McGrath 11 – Shami only had seven.Chaminda Vaas (2003), Muthiah Muralidaran (2007) and Shaun Tait 2007) all took 23 wickets in a single World Cup.Shami’s 7 for 57 in the semi-final against New Zealand in Mumbai were the best bowling figures in a World Cup knockout game (previously Gary Gilmour’s 6 for 14 for Australia vs England at Headingley in 1975), and the fifth-best in all World Cup matches.Starc, meanwhile, finished this tournament with 65 World Cup wickets, third overall behind McGrath (71) and Murali (68).Daryl Mitchell scored two centuries against India in the World Cup. Has anyone scored two against a single opponent before? asked Keth Parker from New Zealand New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell hit 130 in the group game against India in Dharamsala, and added 134 in the semi-final in Mumbai. The only man before this to score two separate centuries against the same opposition in a single World Cup was Sourav Ganguly in 2003, with 107 not out in India’s group game against Kenya in Cape Town, and 111 not out in the semi-final in Durban.In the 1988 Women’s World Cup, when the teams met each other twice in the group stage, Australia’s Ruth Buckstein scored 100 in Perth and 105 not out in Melbourne in their matches against Netherlands. In 2022, Nat Sciver-Brunt hit 109 not out in England’s group game against Australia in Hamilton, and an undefeated 148 in the final in Christchurch. Both came in vain, as England lost both matches.Daryl Mitchell is the only other men’s player to score two hundreds against the same opposition in one World Cup after Sourav Ganguly•Getty ImagesHas any bowler taken 100 wickets in one-day internationals on a single ground? asked Mohit Gupta from India Three men have managed 100 or more wickets at a single ground in ODIs. Shakib Al Hasan leads the way with 131 at the Shere Bangla Stadium in Mirpur, while the Pakistan pace pair of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis took 122 and 114 wickets respectively in Sharjah.Another Bangladeshi, Mashrafe Mortaza, took 94 wickets in ODIs in Mirpur. No one else is terribly close to three figures: Murali took 82 in Sharjah, and 75 at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.I believe Alastair Cook has scored the most Test runs as an opener. But who has scored the most at No. 3? asked David McLaren from Scotland You’re right that England’s Alastair Cook scored the most runs from the top of the order in Tests – 11,845 in all (counting innings from No. 1 or No. 2 in the order). Sunil Gavaskar is next with 9607, and Graeme Smith third with 9030.Leading the way at No. 3 in Tests is Kumar Sangakkara with 11,669, not far ahead of Rahul Dravid with 10,524; Ricky Ponting is third with 9904. In eighth place is Don Bradman, whose 5078 runs from No. 3 came at an average of 103.63.For that list, click here. If you want to check the highest scorers from the other places in the batting order, use that last link, press “Return to query menu”, and change the number in “Batting position” to the one you want.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions
Tottenham Hotspur showed why, under Ange Postecoglou, that at their best they are a force to be reckoned with on Sunday afternoon.
Spurs have flattered to deceive at points this term, notably losing to a winless Crystal Palace a week ago, but since then have shown why teams should be scared of them, beating Manchester City in the cup and then smacking four past Aston Villa in a 4-1 victory.
No team in the Premier League up to this point have scored more than their 22 goals. They are full of life and can outscore pretty much any team they face.
Dominic Solanke – who scored twice at the weekend – will no doubt take the plaudits but another face was just as good, if not better, than the striker. It was a display that had shades of a certain Mousa Dembele.
Why Mousa Dembele was so loved at Spurs
“Dembele was probably the best player I’ve ever seen play football,” remarked Kyle Walker many moons ago. He was “a freak of nature” in the words of Eric Dier.
Gain such fine praise from your pears and it’s hardly a surprise that he was so loved at White Hart Lane.
adam-wharton-mousa-dembele-tottenham-opinion
Dembele had the poise and grace of the finest footballers in the game but he combined that with a steely physical nature. In essence, he had it all. He could score goals, he could tackle ruthlessly and he could pick a pass.
One of his finest campaigns on English shores came in 2015/16 and to give credence to the claims we’ve just offered, he was involved in four goals, registered 2.9 successful dribbles per game and won 3.6 tackles per match. Yeah, he was everywhere, he did it all.
So, when the Belgian decided to leave for China in 2019, it was a sad day for Spurs supporters. Arguably since that day, they have struggled to find a player with similar qualities. That’s perhaps until the win over Aston Villa.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Tottenham's new Mousa Dembele
There were a number of key performers in that win over Unai Emery’s team on Sunday, not least Solanke who was the scorer of two goals.
However, Pape Matar Sarr deserves an equal amount of praise for a display that Football.London felt obliged to hand a 9/10 rating.
In the words of GOAL’s Mitch Fretton, the Senegalese was a “monster” in the middle of the park and although he perhaps didn’t show the same level of drive with the ball, failing to attempt a single dribble, he was very much Dembele-esque in a lot of the work he got through.
Sarr vs Aston Villa
Minutes played
90
Touches
80
Accurate passes
59/64 (92%)
Key passes
1
Shots
4
Ground duels won
2/7
Aerial duels won
1/2
Possession lost
7x
Clearances
3
Interceptions
2
Tackles
0
Stats via Sofascore.
In the process of winning three duels, completing a supremely impressive 92% of his passes and boasting more touches (80) than anyone on the field, his finest action came when helping Spurs score their third goal of the game.
If the fact he had more touches than anyone else didn’t give you Dembele vibes then the way he broke up the play for Solanke’s second of the day should.
Sarr pounced on Pau Torres’ loose ball before darting forward with his great lengthy strides and sending it through to Richarlison who laid it on a plate for the £65m signing to score from. It was one of two interceptions from the young 22-year-old who should now be one of the first names on the teamsheet.
He drives his team forward, breaks up the play brilliantly and covers so much ground for his team. All of a sudden he is vital to the way Postecoglou wants his team to play.
Spurs thought they'd signed the new Mousa Dembele, then he left for free
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He says the backing from the team management has helped “take a bit of pressure off” as he makes a return to India’s squad
Shashank Kishore18-Sep-20225:50
How Harshal Patel has used his injury to become even better
Training without the fear of competition has been liberating for Harshal Patel.Having recovered from a rib injury that ruled him out of the Asia Cup that just finished in the UAE, Harshal is looking forward to life on the road again, which will soon include a maiden World Cup appearance. But first he has to deal with the T20Is against Australia starting on Tuesday in Mohali.Related
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Harshal has spent the past four weeks in rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru. The first two weeks were spent working on his physical conditioning, before he resumed bowling. One of his key focus areas has been to be ahead of the curve and continue as the X-factor bowler teams yearn for.”I want to be tighter with my execution,” Harshal told ESPNcricinfo in August. “And I achieved that more or less last IPL [19 wickets in 15 matches]. I will continue to strive for that. If I’m bowling one or two bad balls out of 24, [I want to see] if I can completely eliminate that.”You’re not going to be able to do that every single game, but if I can do that in two games out of five, or three games out of five, that will be a goal worth striving for.”Known for his terrific slower balls and a potent dipping yorker, Harshal vaulted to the top of the wicket-taker’s charts at IPL 2021 and has ridden that wave all the way to an India cap last November.Nearly a year on, he’s emerged as a key member of India’s T20I arsenal. The time off due to injury, he believes, has helped him explore different facets of his craft apart from working on their execution, which is the “tougher bit.” Two of those areas are his new-ball bowling and variations in lengths.”I’ve explored a little bit in terms of the lengths I can bowl with the slower ball,” he explained. “Usually when I bowl the slower balls, it’s mainly fuller or at the good length. But now I’ve started bowling more shorter slower balls which are working out very well for me. That’s one thing obviously.”I’ve also been working on my new-ball skills for a while. I started doing that mid-IPL. Just because in the IPL, what I was supposed to do [mainly middle-overs and death bowling], all my skills were top notch, so I didn’t need to work on them.”So, every time I’d go to practice, I’d take a new ball and start bowling with it because it’s good to have a skill and not need it than the other way round,. It’s just something I’ve been working on and if I get an opportunity, for India or for RCB [Royal Challengers Bangalore], I would love to do that.”Harshal is deeply analytical, and challenges himself to keep getting better. That the team management has been clear of what they expect of him has helped, too.Harshal Patel: My ability to bat at No. 8 is something they [team management] really value•Getty ImagesIn the 30 T20s this year, he has bowled 54 overs in the middle phase for 19 wickets at an economy rate of 6.61 and 41.1 overs at the death for 18 wickets at 10.17. In comparison, in the 11 innings where he came on in the first six, he has averaged just one over per game.”They [India coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma] have been nothing but supportive,” Harshal said. “Whatever the team ethos is, they have taken precedence over individuals, which is a great thing.”They told me my role exactly. They said, ‘we want you to be able to bowl in all three phases, not just middle and death’. They’ve been bowling me once at the end of the powerplay every single game just to get used to that.”It isn’t just his bowling that Harshal has been working on. He takes great pride in his ball-striking too. “My ability to bat at No. 8 is something they [team management] really value,” he said.”I have not been working a lot on my batting because of time constraints, because you’re constantly in competition. But during rehab, I’ve had a chance to hit 500-700 balls over two-three weeks. It’s something I’ve wanted to work on for quite a while because I really want to contribute in that capacity as well.”What has helped along the way is clarity of roles and backing from the captain and the coach. Harshal believes this is critical for individuals from a mental standpoint, because it helps in better decision-making, especially when players return from injuries.”It does take a bit of pressure off you,” he said. “Because sometimes people make foolish decisions when they’re returning to play. They’re either trying to do too much or trying to push too hard because they feel that their place is in danger or for whatever reason.”But if you know for a fact the team management will remember what you’ve done prior to getting injured, and those performances and contributions are not forgotten, then that gives you a sense of calm or comfort that once you go back into the team – obviously you will have to perform again and again and that goes for every single cricketer – you know that you will hold that place in the team.”As Harshal looks ahead, the mention of ‘World Cup’ brings a smile to his face. He grew up like any other kid dreaming of playing in one, and in about a month’s time, it will all come true.”Obviously I am super excited,” he said. “I will get nervous at some point, but at this point of time, I’m just excited. The two World Cups India have won in 2007 and 2011, I vividly remember where I was and what I was doing.”After we won the World Cup, like every kid, we took our scooters and went onto the roads to dance and jump and shout. It would be great if I could play and if we end up winning the World Cup, to have that circle completed would be a great feeling. But [right now] it’s going to be a lot of excitement and nervous energy.”
Fair to say, this season has not gone quite to plan for Glasgow Rangers and in particular, new Gers boss Russell Martin.
Last time out, Rangers played out statistically the most boring Glasgow derby of all time, the two fierce rivals accumulating a combined xG of just 0.31 at Ibrox.
This means, for the first time since 1983, the Light Blues have failed to win any of their opening four fixtures in a Premiership campaign, having previously played out 1-1 draws with Motherwell, Dundee and then St Mirren.
Scoring goals has certainly proved to be one of the many key issues Martin has faced as Rangers boss, with a lot of attacking talent departing Govan this summer, but could one of his summer signings ultimately solve this issue and turn out to be the new Václav Černý?
Václav Černý's importance at Rangers
Last season, across 58 matches in all competitions, Rangers scored a total of 115 goals.
Well, their top three scorers, namely Cyriel Dessers, Cerny and Hamza Igamane, contributed 63 of these goals (55%), but the trio have all departed during the summer.
Dessers was sold to Panathinaikos for £3.5m on deadline day, Igamane joined Lille for around £10.4m a few days earlier, while Černý did not return, following the expiration of his loan from Wolfsburg.
Instead, the Czechia international joined Beşiktaş for around £6m, but, considering the İstanbul-based giants failed to qualify for the league phase of any European competition, while Rangers are back in the Europa League, supporters may feel aggrieved that he isn’t heading back to Ibrox.
The table below underlines Černý’s importance last season.
Černý Rangers 2024/25 stats
Statistics
Černý
Rangers rank
Goals
18
2nd
Assists
6
4th
UEL goals
6
1st
Shots
136
1st
Big chances created
9
4th
Shot-creating actions
42
1st
Goal-creating actions
5
2nd
Progressive carries
40
1st
Key passes
14
2nd
Average SofaScore rating
7.40
2nd
Stats via FBref & Sofascore
As the table documents, Černý was a pivotal figure at Rangers last season, his six goals in the Europa League particularly noteworthy.
Vaclav Cerny
The 27-year-old took his tally to eight international goals on Friday night, bagging the second as Czechia beat Montenegro 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Podgorica, but could Rangers have unearthed a winger with even greater potential?
Rangers' Václav Černý upgrade
In a season that has so far produced very little for Rangers fans to cheer, the form of Djeidi Gassama has certainly been something to get excited about.
Chalkboard
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The 22-year-old arrived in Glasgow for a reported fee of £2.2m, joining from crisis club Sheffield Wednesday, who are being completely run into the ground by wantaway owner Dejphon Chansiri, thereby sanctioning a fire sale of all the Owls’ assets.
Thus, it appears as though Rangers have taken advantage of the disastrous situation at Hillsborough and snapped up a bargain.
When he first arrived, manager Martin labelled Gassama “exciting”, adding that he will get fans “on the edge of their seats”, asserting that “he is on an upward trajectory… we look forward to seeing him in action.”
Well, the 21-year-old certainly made a good first impression, scoring four times during the early rounds of Champions League qualifying.
He spectacularly netted on his debut against Panathinaikos, also on target during the return leg in Athens eight nights later, before bagging a brace when Viktoria Plzeň was vanquished 3-0 at Ibrox in the third qualifying round.
As already outlined, what made Černý’s contribution so outstanding was his end product in European competition, something Gassama has already shown signs of being able to replicate.
In the Europa League league phase, the Gers will face: Genk (H), Sturm Graz (A), Brann (A), Roma (H), Braga (H), Ferencváros (A), Ludogorets Razgrad (H) and then Porto (A) on the final matchday.
Even when considering Rangers’ horrendous start to the season, there are certainly some winnable fixtures in that bunch so, if they’re to match last season’s run to the quarter-finals, or even better it, Gassama will be key to the Light Blues’ hopes.
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This former Rangers centre-forward has enjoyed a terrific 2025 so far.